Two fifths of people in the construction industry believe an accident is “inevitable” on their sites, research has revealed.
The study also showed almost half of respondents believed their boss could have done more to improve construction site safety and 41% said they have been made to work in unsafe conditions before.
The research, carried out by legal services company Slater and Gordon, surveyed 500 people in physical construction jobs across the UK – it also revealed 40% of construction workers sometimes feel unsafe at work and 78% of respondents had been involved in an accident in the workplace.
Nicholas Hagi Savva, senior associate at Slater and Gordon said: “While we recognise that people do work hard to improve safety on construction sites, our research shows that they are still an extremely dangerous place.
“As a law firm that specialises in personal injury cases, we have seen first-hand the devastating consequences of accidents on construction sites.
“We are committed to holding those responsible for construction site accidents accountable, however, we would much rather see these accidents prevented in the first place.
“Often, those who have been injured whilst at work aren’t sure of their rights and what their next steps should be.
“We want to make sure everyone has access to the information they need to make informed decisions and our toolbox of content will do exactly that.”
The toolbox produced by Slater and Gordon includes a template letter for employees to formally report an accident, information on legal rights if employees do have an accident on site and how to get help.
Data released by the Health and Safety Executive showed 30 of the 123 work-related deaths in 2021/2022 occurred in the construction sector.
The research by Slater and Gordon also looked at the most common injuries those working on construction suffer in the workplace.
The most common was slips, trips and falls at 45%, followed by cuts, muscle strain and being hit by falling objects.
The least likely injuries were electrocution, gas leak, a fire or explosion, heat stroke or hyperthermia, act of violence or to be hit by a vehicle, which was 4%. (4.10%)
Further reading: Ensuring worker safety and welfare on construction sites
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